By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Fenerbahce Beko completed the addition of Onuralp Bitim and loaned the 25-year-old Turkish forward to FC Bayern Munich for the remainder of the 2024-25 season.
Confirming a report by Eurohoops on Tuesday, the teams based in Istanbul and Munich made the deal official on Friday morning.
The contract between Bitim and Fener lasts until the end of the 2027-28 season.
With forwards, Vladimir Lucic and Niels Giffey stuck to the injury list, the native of Kadikoy heading to Bayern for the rest of the season reinforces the team coached by Gordon Herbert. “We looked for a solution and are now very happy to get a very talented and versatile player in Onuralp,” explained sporting director Dragan Tarlac.
Bouncing back in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague after four appearances with Anadolu Efes in the 2017-18 Regular Season and following 23 games in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls in the 2023-24 Regular Season, Bitim will travel from Istanbul to Munich and launch the loan assignment at the German club next week.
It is unclear whether he will play in the two-game week of Europe’s premier club continental competition, ranging from a clash with Fenerbahce in Ulker Sports Arena on Tuesday to a meeting in SAP Garden with easyCredit BBL rival ALBA Berlin on Thursday.
Besides starting his professional career with Efes between 2016 and 2019 and being crowned BSL champion in 2019, Bitim was loaned to Sifortam.net ITU for the 2017-18 season, moved to Pinar Karsiyaka from 2019 to 2021 and Frutti Extra Bursaspor from 2021 to 2023, before joining the Bulls.
The Turkish forward averaged 3.5 points per NBA game. In the G League with the Windy City Bulls, he went for 14.2 points per contest.